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The Plano Symphony Orchestra’s Speakers Bureau is dedicated to engaging with its community by connecting with local rotary and private clubs, as well as youth and adult groups. If your organization is looking for engaging speakers to deliver keynote addresses at meetings or events, we have a diverse lineup ready to share insights on the Plano Symphony Orchestra. Let us help you inspire and inform your audience on the power of music!

COST: FREE

Want to add a little musical atmosphere to your event? Hire a PSO chamber music group.

*Cost: $1,500 for up to 4 musicians. Select “yes” on the interest form and fill out the payment details.

PSO GUEST SPEAKERS:

Héctor Guzmán
Music Director

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Greg Patterson
Executive Director & Chief Development Officer

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Brenda Mills
Board of Directors President

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Nancy Freeman
Board of Directors President Elect &
Vice-President

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Jennifer Wheeler
Director of Education

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Jordan Parks
Director of Development

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Marc Jennings
Director of Marketing &
Patron Services

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SPEAKER TOPICS:

  • Hear from the maestro about what it takes to lead an orchestra, create a unique sound, and discuss other behind-the-scenes details

  • Highlight community initiatives that align with today’s art culture

  • Discover the PSO’s education programs

  • Identify direct patron engagement/volunteer opportunities

  • Discuss philanthropic ways with the PSO

  • Explore the PSO’s administration structure and how it nurtures a thriving non-profit arts organization

     

CONTACT:

Brittney Geurink
Corporate Development Manager
(972) 473-7262 x136
bgeurink@planosymphony.org

© Copyright 2025   |   Plano Symphony Orchestra

The Plano Symphony Orchestra is funded in part by The City of Plano.
The Plano Symphony Orchestra is a member of the League of American Orchestras, the Texas Orchestra Managers Association, the Texas Association of Symphony Orchestras, the Plano Chamber of Commerce, the McKinney Chamber of Commerce, the Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Plano Rotary Club and Frisco Chamber of Commerce.
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Héctor Guzmán

Music Director and Conductor

A recipient of countless distinctions, Maestro Hector Guzman has been Music Director of the Plano Symphony Orchestra since 1983. He is also Music Director of the Irving Symphony and the San Angelo Symphony. In 2004, he was declared winner of the “Seven Conductors…one Baton” International conducting competition and named Music Director of the Jalisco Philharmonic in Mexico. He was honored with the title of Conductor Emeritus of the Jalisco Philharmonic in 2010. Most recently, Mr. Guzman was appointed music director of the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra in 2017.

In his native country of Mexico, Hector Guzman achieved an impressive reputation as an organist by taking first prize in the Chamber Soloist and the Manuel M. Ponce National Organ Competitions. In the United States, he earned further distinction by winning solo competitions at the University of North Texas and Southern Methodist University. In 1978, under the tutelage of world-renowned master teacher Robert Anderson, he gained worldwide acclaim when he became the first Latin American ever chosen as a finalist in one of the most prestigious international organ competitions: France’s Grand Prix de Chartres.

Mr. Guzman’s conducting talents became evident at age 17 when he conducted a memorial performance of Mozart’s Requiem at The National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. Maestro Guzman holds degrees from the Conservatory in Mexico City, UNT, and SMU. Mr. Guzman has studied with many illustrious teachers including his mentor Anshel Brusilow, Helmuth Rilling, and Carlo Maria Guilini at the Academia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. For several years he was a protégé of the late Eduardo Mata, Conductor Emeritus of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

He has been a guest conductor in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, Japan, and Korea with critical acclaim. In demand internationally as a conductor and recitalist, Maestro Guzman was awarded the Outstanding National Young Artist Award from the government of Mexico, the Golden Lyre award, and the Meadows Award in Conducting. In 1995, he received the DeVry Institute’s Director par Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions to the arts, and in 2000, he was included in the “Outstanding Musicians of the 20th Century” by the International Biographical Center in Cambridge, England. He is the recipient of the Silver Good Citizenship Medal from the Sons of the American Revolution as well as the 2005 Artistic Merit Gold Medal given by the government of the State of Mexico, and in 2006 was awarded the Artistic Silver Medal by his native state, Zacatecas. In 2008, Hector Guzman was the recipient of the Mozart Medal, Mexico’s highest musical honor, awarded by the Mozart Academy and the Embassy of Austria in Mexico City. He was named a 2012 “Member of the Year” by Madison Who’s Who and is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award from the 2012 “For the Love of Arts” event in Plano, Texas. In 2018, Mr. Guzman received the “Outstanding Mexican Artist” award from the Government of Mexico.

Gregory Patterson

Executive Director

Gregory Patterson joined the Plano Symphony Orchestra as development director in May 2019. Gregory has worked for several distinguished arts organizations in the United States, Canada, and Europe holding senior marketing, development, and communications/public relations positions. These organizations include The National Ballet of Canada, American Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, Los Angeles Opera, Atlanta Opera and WaterTower Theatre. Gregory has also worked in commercial theatre as a publicist for the Canadian productions of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon, produced by Mirvish Productions in Toronto, Canada. Gregory manages his own consulting firm specializing in small to medium-sized nonprofits and his clients have been or currently include Theatre Three, Kitchen Dog Theatre, and Bishop Arts Theatre Center among others. Gregory is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts. Gregory has won three Telly Awards for best non-profit direct mail campaign (Laguna Playhouse, WaterTower Theatre, Atlanta Opera) and a Webby Award for best non-profit arts website (for San Jose Rep). He is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Brenda Mills

Brenda Mills has a BA and MBA from Texas A&M University in accounting. She is Vice President, Benefits at U.S. Anesthesia Partners. She is a native Texan and has lived in Plano since 1994 with her husband, Coby, and their two children, Dwight and Amanda. Brenda volunteers for several non-profit organizations.

Brenda was on the PSO board from 2011-2017 and is returning to the PSO Board in 2018. She chaired the finance committee of the board from 2012/2013 season to the 2016/2017 season and been treasurer from 2015/2016 season to 2016-2017 season.

Brenda’s interests include music, travel, dancing, and spending time with family and friends.

Nancy Freeman

Nancy served from 2006 until early 2021 as the Director of Operations of the DII Industries, LLC Asbestos PI Trust. Created in 2005, the Trust was at one point the nation’s largest asbestos settlement trust and still ranks among the top today. In her role, Nancy worked alongside the Executive Director and managed the Trust’s day-to-day operations, was integral in the growth of the Trust staff from two to approximately 30 employees, including 13 attorneys, oversaw the processing and resolution of hundreds of thousands of asbestos personal injury claims, and cultivated relationships with the law firms and attorneys filing claims with the Trust, as well as the different professionals advising the Trust. Although Nancy retired as the Director of Operations, due to her institutional knowledge of the Trust, she remains on staff part-time and completes special projects identified by the Executive Director and Trustees.

In the years preceding her legal career, Nancy was a senior executive in both the retail and service industries. During that time, she was involved with the Junior League of Plano.

Nancy obtained her J.D. from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now known as Texas A&M University School of Law) in 2000. She also attended Indiana University for her undergraduate work, receiving her B.S. in Business (major Marketing, minors Accounting and Psychology) in 1979.

Dr. Jennifer Wheeler

Director of Education

Dr. Jennifer Wheeler currently serves as Director of Education for the Plano Symphony Orchestra. In this capacity she creates curriculum, directs outreach events for all ages, and manages school participation and musician visits to 150 schools annually. Jennifer also serves as director of the Healing Notes program which provides music therapy influenced concerts to senior facilities and the Collin County juvenile detention center. Dr. Wheeler additionally directs the symphony’s Salvation Army after school music program. Dr. Wheeler has held the piccolo position with PSO for over 15 years and utilizes her performing skills regularly for outreach in the community.

Dr. Wheeler holds a doctoral degree in flute from The University of Texas in Austin, a master’s degree from The University of Southern California, and an undergraduate degree from The University of North Texas. She teaches flute, music theory, and music history at Collin College in Plano, where she has been guiding students for over 12 years.

Previously Dr. Wheeler held the position of Associate Principal Flute of the Mexico City Philharmonic from 1999-2001 where she performed the Liebermann Piccolo Concerto as part of the concert season. She also held a co-principal position with the Mineria Festival Orchestra from 1999-2003, performing as a soloist in great works such as Brandenburg Concerto No. 4. Dr. Wheeler has won several National Flute Association prizes including 1st place in the Orchestral Competition, Convention Performer Competition, and semi-finalist in the Piccolo Artist Competition.

Jordan Parks

Development & Marketing Associate

Jordan is a 2023 Texas Tech University graduate with a Bachelor of Music in Performance. While studying, he honed his skills at the Rocky Ridge Music Festival and played with the Tumble Winds woodwind quintet. Additionally, he gained insight into arts administration through an internship at the Lubbock Symphony and at the National Repertory Orchestra as the CEO Assistant Fellow. Jordan also spent four summers at the Interlochen Center for the Arts before embarking on his professional music career.

Marc Jennings

Director of Marketing and Patron Services

Marc Jennings joined the Symphony staff in August 2013 as the Patron Services Manager.

Mr. Jennings is responsible for managing patron services through key roles in the symphony box office. Mr. Jennings seats over 1,500 season subscribers for the main series, manages patrons’ intricate seating requests, and provides daily customer service to patron inquiries. Mr. Jennings manages the on-site box office process and personnel by ensuring that computer and credit card systems are up and running remotely, staffed properly, and will-call and comp tickets are prepared. Mr. Jennings is responsible for programming events, receptions, and concerts in the ticketing software in order to issue tickets, process money, and track attendance for these activities. His expertise is integral to the improvement and documentation of symphony business processes.